Tennessee may be preparing to finish the season without one of its most important pieces up front. On3’s Pete Nakos reported Wednesday night that starting left guard Wendell Moe Jr. is “expected to miss the remainder of the 2026 season” after getting hurt on the opening drive of Tennessee’s game against Texas last Saturday.
Head coach Josh Heupel didn’t offer any update on Moe immediately after the Texas game. Asked again about the injury during his Monday afternoon press conference, Heupel pointed reporters toward the injury reports that would come later in the week.
Moe, a 6-foot-2, 330-pound fifth-year senior from Long Beach, California, has been a steady presence for Tennessee since transferring in from Arizona before the 2025 season. He spent his first three seasons with the Wildcats, then became a major part of the Vols’ interior line last year, when he started 11 games - eight at right guard and three at left guard - and earned First Team All-SEC honors.
This season, Moe had started all four games at left guard before the injury against Texas forced Tennessee to reshuffle the line. Sham Umarov moved from right guard to left guard, and Donovan Haslam stepped in at right guard, turning one injury into two changes across the front.
No. 17 Tennessee is back home Saturday against Auburn, with kickoff set for 3:30 p.m.
ET in Neyland Stadium. The Vols will also debut their new Neyland Legacy Smokey Grey uniforms for the SEC matchup.
In Other News...
Josh Dobbs Had Another Sideline Moment Tennessee Fans Will Appreciate
Joshua Dobbs has spent his 10th NFL season doing the sort of little things that tend to endear him to any locker room, and Tennessee fans know the routine by now. The former Volunteers quarterback, now in his first year of a second stint with the Lions, has not appeared in a regular-season game yet, but he did draw attention during a viral sideline moment when he handled a coachs headset by simply moving the microphone to the other side instead of replacing it.
It was a small gesture, but the kind that fits the broader story of Dobbs, who has long been valued for his presence as much as his arm. He turned in a strong preseason for Detroit and remains a veteran backup at age 31, but moments like this are why he still seems to resonate in Knoxville, where efficiency, awareness and a team-first approach have always played well. [Read more 🡒]
Tennessee Fans May Want To Notice This Famous-Name QB
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Bryan is already carrying multiple college offers and is ranked as a three-star prospect in the Class of 2027, so performances like this can only help him keep climbing the radar. Luke Bryan was on hand and expressed pride in his son's effort, a reminder that this is becoming one of those names Tennessee fans may want to keep in the back of their minds as the recruiting picture continues to take shape. [Read more 🡒]
New Lady Vol Rylie Theuerkauf Already Sounds Built For Tennessee
Official practice for the 2026-27 season has only just begun, but Rylie Theuerkauf is already speaking like a player who knows exactly why she came to Tennessee. The senior guard arrived after stops at Wake Forest and Georgia, and her move brought her back alongside assistant coach Isoken Uzamere and teammate Zhen Craft, two familiar connections in a new setting. There is always an adjustment period with a transfer, especially one who has already lived in more than one program, but Theuerkauf sounded comfortable describing the transition and the work that went into getting settled with the Lady Vols.
What stands out most is how quickly she has bought into the bigger picture around Kim Caldwells team. Theuerkauf talked about chemistry, the gains made over the summer, and the trust she has in Caldwell as Tennessee starts to put its pieces together. For a program that expects newcomers to fit into a demanding standard fast, that matters, and it suggests Theuerkauf may be more than just another veteran guard in the rotation. She already sounds like someone who understands the assignment, even if the real proof will come once the games begin. [Read more 🡒]